History of marathons has in a way been the same- a near reflection of the marathons themselves. It only depicts change from the only ancient Greece story to currently being one of the most prestigious long-distance events held in practically all the countries of the globe. Marathons are no longer just races; they have become celebrations of the world in which people of different cultures and ages mingle.
The Origin of the Marathon
The marathon origin is the Battle of Marathon, 490 B.C. According to the legend, Pheidippides, the Greek runner who was sent from the battlefield at Marathon to Athens, ran about 40 kilometres in all in order to deliver the news of the victory. Attributing the report, he fell to the ground weak from exhaustion. This is a myth that is indeed the source of a new marathon creation.
Birth of the Modern Marathon
The first modern marathon was the 1896 Athens Olympics Marathon. The distance of the race was 40 kilometres, and the name was taken from the story of Pheidippides. The event and hence the mass-media attention were won by Spiridon Louis, a Greek water carrier, who was the first to pass his time. It was an event where marathons gained from being a sport of the world to a global phenomenon.
Standardizing the Distance
Marathon lengths were not the same in every marathon at the beginning. It was decided to standardize the distance to 42.195 kilometres (26.2 miles) at the 1908 London Olympics. The start was moved to Windsor Castle, and the finish was at the Olympic stadium; therefore, the spectators could watch the race end from the royal box, and thus, the course was lengthened. Since then, this has been the official worldwide distance.
Growth of Marathons Worldwide
The popularity of the Olympic marathon has flourished over the two thousand years that followed the debut of the marathon outside the Olympic Games. On the other hand, the cities of Boston, New York, Berlin, and others alternate in hosting the marathon. The Boston Marathon, which was held for the first time in 1897, is still thought to be the oldest marathon that has been organized annually without any interruptions. At the present times, we can almost find a city that is not organizing its marathon race; some of them might be even registering thousands of runners from all over the world to take part in their events every year.
Inclusion of Women
The moment when women became allowed to participate in marathons was one of the most significant landmarks known in the history of marathons. Women had been banned from participating in long-distance running events for a very long time. Kathrine Switzer defied the rule and competed in the Boston Marathon in 1967 despite the prohibition of female runners. Immediately, a new version of events was created that overturned the disputed regulation. Her power was amazing and finally, in 1984, the women’s Olympic marathon was created.
Lessons from the History of Marathons
The history of one of the most potent human struggle forms is the marathon race that also features the themes of equality and world peace. From the epic to the present day, the marathon has been a vehicle for the demonstration of the indomitable human spirit and the hunger to survive, as it recounted the stories of the most legendary races and passed on the same lesson each time. The final message was always the same regardless of whether it was the first Olympic race or the mass-participation city marathons of today; regular people are capable of doing superlative things.